At least six foreign tourists and their driver have been wounded in Afghanistan, after a group that included eight Britons was attacked by gunmen.

The nationalities of the casualties are not immediately clear.

The group of at least a dozen travelers was attacked by gunmen as their convoy made its way through Herat province in the west of the country, Afghan government officials said.

Three Americans and one German tourist are also said to have been among the group.

Security forces have been sent to the scene, the regional governor's spokesman said.

The convoy was reportedly being escorted by security personnel at the time of the attack.

Afghanistan's interior ministry described the foreigners as "tourists", saying that they were on their way from Bamiyan province in the centre of the country to the city of Herat.

Bamiyan, home to a large national park, attracts some of the few tourists who do visit Afghanistan, which remains locked in a violent insurgency.